2014 Recognition Awards

RECOGNITION AWARD

WINNER

Uju Catherine Ifejika – Nigeria

Uju Ifejika was born on October 28th 1959 to the family of Chief & Mrs. Clifford Ikpeze, Her father was a Chartered Accountant. She is the sixth child in a family of ten children.

Mrs. Ifejika began her academic career at the University Primary School, Nsukka, Eastern Nigeria. Her post-primary education was at Queens School, Enugu, after which she gained admission into the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1980 where she obtained a Diploma in Law and LLB (Hons.) degree in 1985. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986.

Mrs. Ifejika served her one year National Youth Service at the Marketing Department of Texaco Nigeria Plc (later Chevron Oil Nigeria Plc), in 1986/87 and she was retained there as a staff of the company. Thus, Mrs. Uju Ifejika started her working career in the Legal Department of Texaco as a Junior Counsel in 1987. From 1988 to 1989, she was seconded to Texaco Overseas Petroleum Unlimited, the upstream arm of the Texaco Group on an experience broadening assignment and later returned to the downstream company where she became the Acting Chief Counsel by 1991.

In July, 1997, Mrs. Ifejika was appointed Company Secretary and Manager, Public and Government Affairs. In 2003, her Government and Public Affairs portfolio was expanded to cover Texaco’s business in Cameroon, Togo, Benin Republic, Cote D’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She held both positions until September 30, 2007, when she elected to take an early retirement, having served the company dutifully for twenty (20) years.

During her work period, Mrs. Ifejika attended several seminars, conferences and courses both within and outside Nigeria. In connection with her profession as a lawyer, she is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, a fellow of the Institute of Arbitration and Conciliation, a member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, as well as a former member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture (2001 – 2002).

Mrs. Ifejika founded Brittania-U Nigeria Limited in December, 1995 and assumed the position of Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the company in late September of 2007. Mrs. Ifejika was personally instrumental to Brittania-U’s successful procurement of its initial loan of $23 million from a Nigerian bank and the company’s first drilling phase in Ajapa field in OML 90, which saw the company drilling two side tracks, one of which was successful and an appraisal that was inconclusive.

She steered Brittania-U to designing and the construction of the company-owned 80,000bbls Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Unit christened “BU 1”, as well as its purchase of a 75, 000bbls Shuttle tanker and a 400HP AHT Boat. These were all achieved in a record time of 17 months during which the company also produced its FIRST OIL; a record yet to be equaled by any other company in Nigeria.

Mrs. Ifejika, has further grown and developed her business interests by establishing a number of companies.

RECOGNITION AWARD

WINNER

Superintendent Mrs Patience Ashorkor Quaye – Ghana

Supt Mrs Patience Ashorkor Quaye is the Head of Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service and winner of The International Association Of Woman Police’s Excellence in Performance Award. This award is for those who go above and beyond the high level of performance expected in law enforcement and for individuals whose exemplary performance is distinguishable and warrants the highest level of international recognition,
The purpose of this award was to recognise women officers, who by their overall service and accomplishments, throughout their careers have distinguished themselves in leadership, community service, mentoring and excellence in performance.

The rewards for female police officers issued by the International Association of Women Police under its Annual Award Programmes are highly competitive, prestigious forms of international recognition for women police officers.

RECOGNITION AWARD

WINNER

Creseldah Ndlovu – South Africa

Creseldah Ndlovu is the founder of Yesu i Hosi projects, a drop-in-centre that provide cooked meals for 239 orphans and vulnerable children aged 2-18 years. In setting up this project, Creseldah also provided jobs for 14 care givers who look after the kids. They receive a stipend of R1100.00 from the Department of Social development.

She is also the founder of Creseldah Education Foundation a non-profit which gives bursaries to learners living deep in rural areas of Bushbuckridge, Creseldah’s home town. The bursary covers university application fees and transport as well as career guidance, support and motivation. Since 2008, she has celebrated Mandela Day by helping to build houses for the needy, caring for the poor and providing wheelchairs for the disabled.

Inspired by her own story, being born into a poor single parented family, she wrote the book “Your Background Is Not Your Future” hoping to inspire others from humble beginnings like herself to reach for higher heights. She founded Bushbuckridge Together As One a female Christians annual gathering at the Thulamahashe Stadium and is fondly known as the Mother Theresa of Bushbuckbridge.

RECOGNITION AWARD

WINNER

Muzvare Betty Makoni – Zimbabwe

Muzvare Betty Makoni (BA Gen, BA Special Hons) is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Girl Child Network Worldwide an international charity registered in the UK. Recently she was selected to be in the team of experts for Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative was officially launched on 30 January 2013 by the UK Foreign Office. She joins the team as a Gender Based Violence expert. In her many high profile titles, millions across the world passionately call her CNN Hero as she was the top in 2009 category for Protecting the Powerless and was honoured by Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman.

Betty Makoni might be the highest honoured and awarded African woman in the world with 40 local, regional and global awards for innovation, commitment and passion for her work to protect over 300,000 girls in Zimbabwe.

RECOGNITION AWARD

WINNER

Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma – Nigeria

Senator Daisy Danjuma is a law graduate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria with over 35 years of post-call experience. She began her career as a State Counsel in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice (Department of Public Prosecutions) and was a pioneer Legal Counsel to the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria before working for the investment bank Nigerian Acceptances Ltd. (NAL). She spent the next decade as Company Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) before moving into private practice. She is a former Chairman of SAPETRO (1999-2003).

In 2003 she was elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she served on numerous committees, most notably as Chairman of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Women and Children’s Rights Committee and Senate Committee Chairman on Women Affairs and Youth Development.

Senator Danjuma is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School, a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA).

RECOGNITION AWARD

WINNER

Salha Kaitesi – Rwanda

Salha Kaitesi started her business, Beauty of Rwanda, after encountering some basket weavers in Rwanda. Basket weaving is a skill that many Rwandese women have, passed from one generation to the next. Many of these women are survivors of the Rwandan genocide; and Hutu and Tutsi women have put their differences aside and are weaving baskets together to improve their lives and those of their children. Beauty of Rwanda empowers Rwandese women by selling their handmade crafts. The focus is on fair trade rather than a charitable effort. The weavers in rural Rwanda are facing poverty and Beauty of Rwanda helps them to overcome that.

The women are the bread winners of their families because either their husbands were killed during the genocide or are in prison for the crimes they committed during the genocide. Some are living with HIV and need the income in order to buy essential medication. Beauty of Rwanda’s aims to promote socio-economic well-being of vulnerable groups in Rwanda.

RECOGNITION AWARD

WINNER

Dr.K S Maluleke – South Africa

Dr K S Maluleke Is a former nurse, a teacher and radio preacher and founder of Together As One, a project aimed at improving the lives of the marginalized, particularly orphans and vulnerable children, women and the destitute.

Together As One was launched on the 1st May 1995 in a small community hall and grew to the point that they could only accommodate people at the stadium. The organization engages community members who are subjected to abuse, and poverty in collaboration with various stakeholders in the form of traditional leaders, Faith Based Organizations, local business people and politicians.

Together As One has been involved in a range of projects from the rehabilitation of inmates to building houses for destitute families. A theme is set for every year to help focus the projects.

Dr.K S Maluleke now hopes to work hard to assist women to advance their careers through networking, mentoring and promoting educational opportunities or skills. She is currently in the process of creating more projects like bead work, poultry farm and developing vegetable garden which will create jobs for some unemployed widows later this year.

RECOGNITION AWARD

WINNER

Dr Mrs Sefa Boakye – Ghana

Her Excellency Dr.Mrs Janet Sefa Boakye, C.E.O, ANITA HOTEL LTD, Ejisu-Achiawkrom, Kumasi, was born on the 24th day of February, 1964, Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region, Ghana.

Dr. Mrs Sefa Boakye, started school at K.C.C Primary, South-Suntreso, Kumasi, then to Kumasi Academy. After successful completion, she moved into trading, thus, dealing with jewelleries and later acquired a store in Kumasi, Kejetia, and then moved into agro-chemical business,(SEFA & JANE AGRO-CHEMICALS).

Through hard work and God’s blessings, Dr Mrs. Sefa Boakye can boast of about 50 staffs in the agro-chemical business and still counting and is one of the leading agro-chemical company’s in the northern sector, Ghana. Together with her family, they, set-up a washing bay company, water producing company and the Prestigious Anita Hotel Ltd, a three star hotel all in Kumasi and an Insurance company in Prampram, Accra.

Anita Hotel ltd, a three star hotel (The Gate Way To The Ashanti Kingdom), located in Achiawkrom, Ejisu, Kumasi, is equipped with a well-furnished 102 rooms, ranging from STANDARD TO EXECUTIVE SUITES, 4 conference halls, a big restaurant and a bar, business and gym centres, a pool and a large secured car park in tandem with a well-trained, friendly reception has a workforce of more than 100.

Dr Janet Sefa Boakye, a mother of six, wife of Dr. Sefa Boakye and committed member of the Apostolic Church of Ghana is currently a foster mother of about 46 children in which some have completed their tertiary education with others in other tertiary, second cycle institutions and at the junior levels.
Notwithstanding, Dr Mrs Sefa Boakye, a philanthropist, has also contributed immensely to the social and developmental needs of the sick and needy of the pupils of Garden City Special School, Asokore-Manpong, Kumasi and the establishments of portable drinking water, lavatories’ and the likes.
As a result, she has won herself honours; Mother Of Israel, Ambassadorial award, Ashanti business award and others from Doctors and RT V, the first digital satellite television station in Kumasi for working with them for years.

Maa Jane, as she is affectionately called has intended to aid orphans to ensure they also live happily.